


Soul Record

by junko



Series: Scatter and Howl [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 20:58:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3148337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji and Byakuya discuss the "present" Byakuya's aunt sent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soul Record

Renji could only stand Byakuya’s baleful look for so long before he had to say, “My soul record, huh? Well. That’s a weird present, but you know nice?”

“Nice? Renji, no, this is not nice,” Byakuya said, his gaze dropping back to scan the pages. 

Renji scratched behind his ear, because, honestly, ‘not nice’ was hardly a surprise. Part of his soul manifested itself as a demon of misfortune, so Renji wasn’t expecting he’d been some kind of saint in a past life. Honestly, from the first day he’d been assigned to Inuzuri, Renji thought he was being punished for something he’d done, some horrible crime or sin. 

But, whatever. It wasn’t like any of that mattered now.

“Spoilers,” Renji said, watching Byakuya turn frantic page after frantic page, “The ending is amazing.” He said pointing to his nose. “I can tell you now that whoever that sad little fuck is, no matter what he did with his miserable life, it works out well for him. I hear he gets a lieutenancy and everything.” When Byakuya didn’t even make a noise of acknowledgement, Renji continued, “And a super-hot lover. And the best zanpakutō in all of the Gotei.”

Zabimaru made a proud ‘damn straight’ noise at that.

With a sigh, Renji went back to eating lunch. As Byakuya read, Renji polished off the remains of the curry, the pickled onions, and most of the rice. He left the tea for Byakuya. He waited a little longer, but when Byakuya made no signs of finishing any time soon, Renji got up.

“I need to get back to work or people really will talk,” Renji said. “When you want to find out how the story ends, come see me.”

He was halfway to the door when Byakuya said, “Wait. Don’t you want this?”

“Me?” Renji said, turning to look back. “Why would I want that? I have enough trouble letting go of my fucking past. I only just crawled up out of Inuzuri and it still clings to me like dirt. You trying to set me back a lifetime or two? I’ll pass, thank you very much.”

Byakuya held his gaze for a long time and then said with a solemnity that Renji didn’t like at all: “Yes. That’s for the best.”

Renji frowned at him for a moment, his hand on the door. “The fact she put a bow on it means it’s got to be ugly and awful. Just try to remember, that ain’t me.” He put a hand on his chest and then dropped it to include Zabimaru. “This is all that matters right now.”

“You’re right of course,” Byakuya said, setting the papers said. “I’ll have them burned.”

Renji let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Yeah, please. Thanks for that.”

#

When Renji left, Byakuya glanced over at where he’d set the Soul Record. He poured himself a cup of tea and considered what he’d learned. 

Just as Aunt Masama had intimated all those months ago, Renji had been a Hollow after all. His human soul, an executed criminal, had Hollowfied almost instantly, but had remained chained to the execution grounds until it was devoured by a much larger Hollow. Loopnova, as it came to be known, had gone on to wreak havoc for several years until purification finally freed the souls trapped within it. All of them, some minor, others with more power, were then assigned to the Rukongai, however only Renji had surfaced again. None of the others had, as of yet, and were presumed dead—or rather, as the Soul Record had so bluntly put it: “recycled.”

The only other detail of note was the awarding of the killing blow to the Fourth Seat of the Third Division, though apparently it had taken many kidō blasts to subdue the beast. Two deaths and several injuries had been reported.

It seemed a theme for Renji’s soul. Each incarnation had gone down fighting. It had nearly always taken at least some of enemy down with it.

Even this last human incarnation had successfully injured its executioner on the way out. He apparently managed to bite and punch his way to the execution grounds.

Of the nue, there was far less information. Zabimaru’s known names, class, and association to the soul now known as Renji Abarai was listed, of course. Descriptions of powers and techniques were likewise enumerated clinically. Otherwise, the only note regarding Zabimaru was that a zanpakutō soul appeared the moment the Hollow fractured. 

Byakuya’s feeling about this information, however, was harder to pin down. He had to agree with Renji that, in some ways, none of this was a huge surprise. Not, at least, given the look of Hihio Zabimaru. 

On the other hand, confirmation was… disturbing. Not because it reflected badly on Renji, per se, but because of what it seemed to imply about souls in the Rukongai in general. Byakuya now understood why it might be against the law for a pure soul to marry someone from the Rukongai.

And why, perhaps, he and Hisana had never managed children.  
Finishing his tea, Byakuya picked up the Soul Record and headed for the estate. There was always a fire in the kitchen, he suspected. The flames would make quick work of this nonsense.

#

Despite his words to Byakuya, Renji spent his second shift feeling uneasy. His mood was made worse by the fact that he’d been so damned efficient earlier that there wasn’t much to do. After tackling a pile of the things he normally had no time for, Renji decided to organize an impromptu training session in the dojo.

The after lunch hours were the busiest at the dojo, and thanks to Byakuya’s auntie’s ‘gift’ Renji kind of forgot that everyone was gossiping about them for completely different reasons.

And, the dojo, even the Kuchiki one, was always the kind of place people felt free to give a guy some lip.

“So you and the captain, huh?” It was one of Kinjo’s friends, another one of the members of Renji’s advance team, Akako. She was tall and broad and her shaggy hair always managed to look like she was growing out some previous style. She put one hand on her hip, and rested the wooden practice sword on her shoulder. “What’s that like?”

“It’s like: awesome,” Renji quipped. “The fuck you expect? He’s the captain. You think he does anything half-way?”

“Yeah, but does he do you all the way?” Someone else, a guy’s voice, shouted out. Renji glanced around quickly, but couldn’t see who said it.

“D’uh,” Renji said, turning his back on the crowd to set aside Zabimaru in favor of a practice sword. Turning back around, he told everyone: “The captain kicked my ass in bankai. You think I’m topping him? I know he looks pretty and all, but don’t kid yourself. Besides, I have a soft spot for ruthless motherfuckers. Who wants to test me and see?”

It surprised Renji how quickly and efficiently that broke the ice. He got a few volunteers for sparring and for the most part people seemed satisfied having gotten that much information about it all. 

Except one guy; because there was always _That One Guy._

“You should be arrested,” That Guy said as Renji was putting away the swords. “I hope the Head Captain locks you away forever for fraternization.”

Renji straightened up, sliding Zabimaru back into place. He looked That Guy over. An unseated, of course, because Renji swore that the lower the rank the more invested a person was in what was going on in the upper levels. That Guy was youngish, though he’d already started balding, and very thin—almost too much so, though he didn’t seem to lack for muscles. 

“It wouldn’t be me,” Renji pointed out. “If the Head Captain arrested anyone, it would be Kuchiki-taicho. That’s how fraternization works, my friend. It protects those who are lower rank, who could be abused by their commanders. The captain has ten times my spiritual pressure and everyone knows it. You think I’m the one with the ability to blackmail or coerce? How exactly does that work in your mind?”

That Guy screwed up his face in a kind of pout. Finally, he blurted, “It works because your filth sullies our noble captain!”

Renji chuckled. “Oh, well, yeah, of course, that’s a given, right? Because, you know, as hot as I am, no way could our ‘noble captain’ resist sullying himself on me.” 

“He has a weakness for your sort.”

“My sort? What the hell you mean by ‘my sort’” Renji wanted to know, growing hot. But, That Guy opened his mouth so fast that Renji could guess the stupid connection: Inuzuri, of course. “Oi, you bring up the Lady Hisana or Rukia in that next breath of yours with anything other than the utmost respect, I will personally haul you to the captain’s office where you can repeat it to his face.”

That Guy’s mouth snapped shut.

But, because people were watching, Renji put a hand gently on That Guy’s shoulder. That Guy flinched a little, but Renji gave him a serious look in the eye and he didn’t back away. “That’s not to say that you can’t feel free to go tell the Head Captain you want to see my sorry ass in jail,” Renji said clearly and carefully, with as little heat as he could muster. “You go on, if that’s what your conscience says you got to do. I’m just asking that you do what you do with respect. You can do that for our captain at least, can’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” That Guy had the brains to reply.

Renji dropped his hand. He glanced around the dojo. “Right then, anyone else got parting shots? Let me have ‘em, because you got to be able to work with me. That’s the problem here, right? Let’s go. Who’s got something to say? Anybody?”

The unison of thundering “No, sir!”s kind of touched Renji’s heart a little, especially since so many looked back at him with a kind of fierce pride, like they were so pleased that he was ready and willing to take the consequences and that he wanted them to be true to themselves over anything else.

That was what the Sixth was about, wasn’t it? Renji considered: Pride and honor. Okay, technically is was some weird-ass thing, “Noble reason,” but really at its core that was what it was: pride and honor.

So long as there was honor, they might get through this yet.

#

Byakuya left his office intending to head directly to the kitchen to burn the soul record, but when he stepped outside into the icy wind he reconsidered. 

Where had Auntie Masama gotten this? 

The watermark on it was Gotei, not Soul Realm, and the paper looked and felt so much like the reports that came out of the Twelfth Division that Byakuya had a pretty good guess. He was surprised, however, that Kurotsuchi would bother catering to the interests of an old, foolish woman. Though certainly Aunt Massey would have offered a lot of money, probably enough to fund all sorts of research projects. Interestingly, it would have had to be her own personal funds, since, as clan head, Byakuya reviewed and approved all expenditures of any volume. Most routine ones, too, for that matter.

He hoped she hadn’t impoverished her estate and holdings just to procure this bit of not-terribly surprising bit of information about Renji.

Honestly, for the Twelfth Division, this record was shoddy work. Byakuya would have thought that Zabimaru would have interested them more, yet there was hardly anything mentioned of the zanpakutō at all, beyond the basics that any soldier in the Sixth should be able to recite. 

The lack made Byakuya suspect that the Twelfth had undersold his aunt.

Byakuya turned his gaze in the direction of Kurotsuchi’s… lair, and then let out a breath. He felt ill equipped to deal with Kurotsuchi at the moment. Besides, merely to gain entrance, Byakuya would have to carefully craft his inquiry. Kurotsuchi was far too impatient a man to answer a colleague’s question merely out of common courtesy. Byakuya would have to have something of interest, something to offer in trade.

Perhaps this leaked Soul Record would be enough. Surely, Kurotsuchi did not produce this himself. With so little on Zabimaru, Byakuya couldn’t imagine it meeting Kurotsuchi’s high standards. Someone else in the Division produced it, then. Either they did it on Kurotsuchi’s okay, and failed to produce something of quality, or they did it on the sly, which Kurotsuchi would not tolerate. If there was one thing Kurotsuchi hated more than incomplete research, Byakuya imagined, it was for someone to touch his carefully guarded horde of information without permission.

Summoning a butterfly, Byakuya laid out his terms. He would exchange a brief meeting with the Captain for the Soul Record. Byakuya even agreed to go to the Twelfth, but he would do it tomorrow, at his convenience. Byakuya did, of course, part with, “I’m surprised at your work, Captain. It’s incomplete and sub-par. Hardly a mention of Zabimaru’s previous incarnations? I would have expected better.”

That, he knew, would garner an instant response.

Having sent the butterfly on its way, Byakuya turned instead to the Thirteenth. He always had the excuse there that he was looking in on Rukia, but what he really wanted was to see what Ukitake made of Renji’s Soul Record. Byakuya remembered speaking to him of Hollows and souls before, perhaps his former commander would be able to clear up some of Byakuya’s remaining… unease.

Tucking the papers inside his haori, Byakuya flashed into the sky.

When he touched down he found Captain Ukitake… having a snowball fight. The entire Division seemed to be in on the antics, and Byakuya had to use shunpō to avoid an icy missile that had been aimed at his backside. That could only have come from Rukia or Ukitake, so Byakuya quickly spun to pick up a scoop of snow and fired two successive shots in the direction of the giggling pair.

Rukia dodged.

Ukitake got hit on the side of his head. Byakuya had no illusions that Captain Ukitake simply allowed himself to be hit, especially when he stood up from where he was stooped, shook out his haori and hair, and clapped his hands. “People, people, we have a visitor! We should move this into the quad!”

The shopkeepers who had joined in looked disappointed to be excluded, but everyone was in good spirits, and at least one enterprising soul had set up a hot chocolate stand just at the gates and was making brisk business with those returning to work.

Two shinigami passing by Byakuya gave him a very obvious looking over and then proceeded to giggle into their sleeves. Byakuya checked his haori. Had something spilled on it? Or an unnoticed snowball hit its mark after all?

Finding nothing, Byakuya frowned. What had they found so funny, especially as they continued to steal glances at him and laugh.

Ukitake, his cheeks flushed red from the cold and his smile as bright as the freshly fallen snow, clapped Byakuya on the shoulder, “Welcome! Have you come to see Rukia?”

“You both, actually,” Byakuya said with a soft smile to Rukia. 

“Excellent,” Ukitake said, “I’ll buy some hot chocolate for all of us. We can stoke the coals under the kotatsu.”

Honestly, that sounded very lovely, so Byakuya inclined his head. He offered his arm to Rukia, who took it with a little blush of surprise.

“You don’t have to take time out of your day to check on me, nii-sama.”

“I know,” Byakuya said kindly. “Besides, I can see that you’re recovering very nicely. What of Ichigo? Will he wake soon?”

Rukia startled as though surprised Byakuya knew she checked on Ichigo regularly. “Oh, well, I can’t say, but Urahara thinks it may be this week already. We’ll only have a very short time before…”

“Yes,” Byakuya said, patting her arm in understanding. He remembered that Ichigo would lose his ability to see the dead, and thus be unable to continue in his role as substitute soul reaper. He would also no longer be able to see Rukia, which Byakuya was sure broke her heart. They walked towards Ukitake’s office. Ukitake had stayed behind to collect an armful of hot chocolates. “I shall pray that he awakes for my birthday. It would be the finest gift.”

Rukia smiled up at him. But, then her mouth made an ‘O.’ “What if it happens on your birthday? What if he wakes up on the 31st!?”

Byakuya squeezed her hand. “Don’t even hesitate. You can see your older brother any time. But your…” oh, dear, were they lovers? He couldn’t remember if she’d confessed it, so he settled on, “… special friend only has this one last time to talk to you. You must go. You should take Renji as well, or he’d never forgive me.”

“Oh, nii-sama!” She clutched his arm with heartfelt emotions.

“My Third Seats are gossiping about you and Renji,” Ukitake said, appearing at Byakuya’s side and handing him one of the chocolates to carry. “They seem to have heard the most amazing thing. They’re saying you two have gone public.”

“It’s true,” Byakuya said, taking the Styrofoam cup. He was a little concerned that word had already reached this far into the Seireitei. Renji had made it sound as though only the Sixth had gotten the news. Had that baboon sent out a memo to all the Divisions?

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. Spying on other Divisions is hardly my style,” Ukitake smiled, pausing to slide open the door to his spacious office. “One of ours just happened to be visiting a lover the other night. Apparently she felt the need to come running to her friend, Kiyone. You know what women are like with things like this!” 

Rukia made a little noise.

“Most! Most women, not all!” Ukitake quickly corrected. “You know I only say that with affection, Rukia.”

“Yes, Taicho,” she said with a funny tone. A little secret shared smile passed between them, as though Rukia and Ukitake had some long-standing tease regarding such matters. “Though I still say that partner of yours is a bad influence.”

Kyouraku.

Kyouraku, who had tried to distract the soldiers of the Sixth so that his assassins could poison Daisuke. 

Well, that was a matter for another time. A time when Byakuya was prepared to burn bridges once and for all with these two. First, he had information to gather. 

Ukitake handed the remaining two chocolates to Rukia and prepared the kotatsu. In a matter of moments, they were all settled around the low table, tucked under a quilt that was the color of a stormy ocean, and their feet stretched towards the warming embers below. 

Letting out a breath and taking the hot chocolate Rukia offered him, Ukitake smiled, “This is pleasant. There’s nothing quite like a warm up after playing outside in the snow.”

Rukia nodded like ‘playing in the snow’ was a thing she engaged in frequently. Byakuya, meanwhile, tried to remember the last time he’d packed a snowball before today. Centuries may have passed. His father had been fond of snow. Though he couldn’t recall engaging in any kind of snowball fights with his father, he did have a strong memory of the night his father insisted they all go for a ride in a sleigh pulled by horses. He remembered his mother on one side, his father on the other, a big, dark sky, and large, showy flakes.

It had been magical.

There had been hot drinks after, though nothing like Human World chocolate. Byakuya took another appreciative sip. “You’ll have to share with me your Human World contact for hot chocolate, Ukitake-taicho,” Byakuya said. “It’s delicious.”

Ukitake rubbed the back of his head like a schoolboy. “Oh, well, the shopkeepers get their supplies from our regular runs. For my own personal use I just ask my subordinates to smuggle packets back! These might be from the Kurosaki’s cabinets!”

“I bought them!” Rukia insisted with the sort of guilty look that made Byakuya wonder if she truly had or if she had a relapse to her Inuzuri ways.

“No matter,” Byakuya said. “Rukia or Renji can buy some for me as well when they return to see Ichigo off.”

Ukitake’s smile faded. “Poor lamb,” he said. “I should make you a long shopping list as well. It might help you keep your mind off things.”

Rukia looked miserable. So much so, that Byakuya felt he needed to say, “I know Urahara says it’s irreversible, but I believe that Ichigo will find a way.”

Ukitake looked shocked. Both he and Rukia asked simultaneously, “You do?”

“Goodness, yes,” Byakuya said without hesitation. “Urahara is as crafty as that boy is determined. I’ll be surprised if it takes them more than a year to solve the problem.”

Ukitake looked far more worried. “I don’t know, Byakuya. What Ichigo did… it’s not something you get over easily.”

“I not suggesting he will,” Byakuya said, after taking another sip of tea. “I simply believe they will work around it. He’s not… let’s just say, Ichigo brings more things into a battle than we can predict. He shouldn’t have been a Vizard, yet he is. And a zanpakutō soul, can it really leave him for long?”

“Oh,” Rukia said, “I hadn’t really thought about that. What happened to Zangestu? Surely it wasn’t destroyed? That’s part of Ichigo.”

“Speaking of such things,” Byakuya said, reaching into his haori and placing Renji’s Soul Record on the table, “I would very much like your opinion of this as well, Ukitake-taicho.”

Ukitake glanced between the two of them a little nervously. Tugging his ear, he smiled and said, “Well, I’ll have to my best to answer the both of you!”


End file.
